JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – A community came together Monday to honor the life of a cherished pillar of the Jacksonville community, who passed away earlier this month.
Lieutenant James XY Brown, who was 98, was honored with a celebration of life after decades of being a friend and protector to those around him.
“I remember him as being a dancing policeman who directed traffic,” Family member Earnestine Woods told WITN.
Brown was a World War II veteran before working with the Jacksonville Police Department in 1957.
There, he served his community for 68 years, many of which were dedicated to being a beloved school crossing guard.
He retired at 97, about a year before his passing, but those he helped will remember him for much longer.
“I’m so grateful that he watched over my girls when they were younger. They’re 36 and 40,” Beverley Vaughn, a Jacksonville community member, says. “I’m so thankful he watched over the children.”
Family members say Brown was nicknamed “Officer Friendly” by his wife of over 60 years, who passed away in January of this year.
Brown is survived by seven children, seven grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren, three great-great-grandchildren, and several siblings.
Loved ones say he’ll be remembered for his sense of humor, his dedication to his job and the community, and the love he had for his family, friends, and coworkers.
“He was a loving father, husband, and grandfather. He’s going to be greatly missed, but we thank God for his longevity and service in the community,” Vaughn told WITN.
His burial followed the celebration of life ceremony, where he was laid to rest at Coastal Carolina State Veterans Cemetery.
Though his watch has ended, his family says his impact will continue in the lives he touched around him.
Family members told WITN Brown was widely considered the oldest and longest-serving officer in the United States.
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